requiemforkingsmouthfandomcom-20200213-history
Sworn of the Ladder
'Sworn of the Ladder' '' Purpose: To achieve divine forgiveness, returning to mortal existence or finding the eternal freedom of a guiltless death. ''Doctrine: ''The Sworn of the Ladder subjugate themselves to the needs of others, hoping that through selfless acts and virtuous thoughts they will achieve salvation. ''Membership: ''Known as the Upright, the Ladder-Sworn are always members of the Ordo Dracul. A secret society inside a secret society, the Sworn of the Ladder are exceedingly careful about which Kindred they approach for membership. They look for self-sacrifice, an unflinching dedication to righteous action, and a surpassing faith in the power of God to forgive. Well-meaning neonates are significantly less attractive than ancilla or elders who have proven that they have what it takes to maintain morality despite the Curse. 'Benefits' • At this level the Dragon has demonstrated virtuous qualities as personal cost, but is not yet trusted enough to know the secrets of the Ladder-Sworn. She is offered a position in a 'select organization' dedicated to personal betterment within the Ordo Dracul, but unaware of any compromising details. In order to successfully feed without endangering another's well-being, it is necessary to have a huge volume of potential vessels. The character gains a free dot of Herd. '•• It is of utmost importance to the Upright to keep their Humanity high. The character may buy back any lost Humanity at half price, though full cost must still be paid to raise her Humanity beyond any previous maximum. She may also buy new Touchstones at for half their usual cost. ••• At this level the Upright is threatened with banishment from the covenant or promised promotion in the wider hierarchy if she gives up the Ladder. If she maintains their confidence despite this, the truth of the Ladder is revealed to her and she is administered the Oath. The character gains access to Anoushka's Ladder as an in-Clan Discipline. This is not subject to the usual limits on how many non-Mystery Coils a character may possess. •••• The Upright require a phenomenal capacity to resist the powers of mental control and telepathy, both to keep the secret of the Ladder and to prevent any domination that might cause them to take amoral actions. The character receives the Indomitable Merit free of charge. ••••• The Upright understand that 'right' and 'good' are not always the same concepts, just as 'wrong' and 'bad' are not always the same. Morality is based on intention, while goodness is based on outcome - specifically, that an action is good if it has more positive consequences than negative, and an action is bad if the reverse is true. They understand that while immortal acts tend to lead to bad consequences and moral acts tend to lead to good consequences, this is not always the case. Bolstered by this philosophy, providing the character was engaged in an action that was both moral and good, she receives +2 to detachment rolls when facing a breaking point. '''Anoushka's Ladder • Relish the Day: As long as the character's Humanity is 8 or higher, she suffers no penalty for actions undertaken during the daytime, though she is still burned by sunlight. •• Rise Above Thirst: As long as the character's Humanity is 8 or higher, she spends just one Vitae to rise each week. ••• Divorce the Clan: As long as the character's Humanity is 9 or higher, she is not affected by her clan or bloodline curse so long as she has gone at least one day and one night without using any powers of the blood. •••• Silence the Urge: As long as the character's Humanity is 9 or higher, she does not receive the Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton Conditions for successfully resisting detachment. ••••• The Open Cage: As long as the character's Humanity is 10, she is not subject to the Beast. She no longer experiences frenzy of any sort, and cannot ride the wave. 'Source' ''The Ordo Dracul, ''pp 140-143, 176. Category:Sworn of the Ladder Category:Factions Category:Ordo Dracul Category:Translations Category:Cults Category:Coils